Statement from Nate Wallace, Clean Transportation Program Manager
Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – This announcement highlights how the Government of Canada is increasingly out of touch with the challenges faced by public transit systems across the country, including the TTC. It doesn’t matter if a bus is electric if nobody is riding it, because operating budget shortfalls forced deep service cutbacks.
The TTC is facing the threat of a death spiral, a vicious cycle of service cuts and fare hikes that push people away from public transit and into their cars, further decreasing revenue, leading to further service cuts. If this is allowed to happen, it will make Toronto more congested, increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and have the greatest impact on society’s most vulnerable.
The greatest GHG reductions from public transit come from getting people out of their cars. Rather than letting hundreds of existing TTC buses, streetcars and subway trains sit idle in rush hour, the federal government should step in with permanent operating funding solutions. To meet our climate targets, Deputy Prime Minister Freeland will need to show up for public transit for more than just ribbon cutting.
Backgrounder
https://environmentaldefence.ca/report/stopping-the-public-transit-death-spiral/
Additional Resources
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2023/04/12/who-will-save-the-ttc.html
ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca
